Last in Parliament October 2015, as ConservativeMP for Kitchener—Waterloo (Ontario)

Statements in the House

Mr. Speaker, we will certainly take no lessons from the Liberals with respect to infrastructure. Our Conservative government's investments in infrastructure are three times greater than the previous Liberal government's.

Those historic investments continued yesterday with the announcement by the Prime Minister to fund the smarttrack project in Toronto. This will improve commuting times, enhance quality of life and create jobs.

Mr. Speaker, as I explained earlier, our government is very proud to have established the Canada 150 community infrastructure program. It will help to preserve and improve treasured cultural and community locations, not only through the province of Quebec but across the country.

We look forward to working with not-for-profit organizations in the province of Quebec and across the country to renew important recreational infrastructure in our communities and to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Confederation.

Mr. Speaker, we are not only making record investments in infrastructure across this country, we are also making record investments in public transit.

These investments in public transit will go even further. Public transit is an eligible category under every component of the new building Canada plan. Of course, in our recent budget we announced the public transit fund. This will provide support to major projects in large cities across this country.

This Conservative government is getting it done. Canadians understand these achievements.

We will take no lessons from the Liberals with respect to infrastructure. Since our Conservative government formed office, Canada has consistently led G7 countries with respect to investments in infrastructure as a percentage of GDP. Over the next decade, our Conservative government will invest $80 billion in infrastructure. This includes the $53-billion new building Canada plan.

What will the Liberals do? They will hike taxes, and we learned this week they will raid pension plans in this country. Canadians want the Liberals to keep their hands off—

Mr. Speaker, our Conservative government is very proud to have established the Canada 150 community infrastructure program.

We are seeing significant interest from community groups, from not-for-profit organizations, from legion halls and from across the country. We look forward to working with them, to partnering with those important organizations in our communities to not only renew recreational infrastructure but to celebrate this country's 150th anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned earlier, our Conservative government has made significant investments across Canada to build roads, bridges, public transit and other public infrastructure. Since 2006, our government has dramatically increased average annual federal funding for thousands of provincial, territorial and municipal infrastructure projects across Canada. We are building on Canada's historic investments, with $80 billion for infrastructure over the next decade. This includes the $53 billion new building Canada plan.

Canadian municipalities have unprecedented ways in which they can put federal funding to work in their communities. Toronto can count on its federal allocation through the gas tax fund. We look forward to considering investing in projects that the city identifies, that the province of Ontario prioritizes, just as we will for all other projects from across the province and across Canada.

Our government is committed to creating jobs, promoting growth and building strong, prosperous communities across Canada.

Mr. Speaker, I can assure my hon. colleague that this Conservative government remains very concerned about and committed to the revitalization of Toronto's waterfront. That is why this Conservative government invested $500 million, as did both the provincial and the municipal levels of government. This funding has resulted in significant improvements, including modern housing in that part of the city, parks and play areas.

We continue to have productive conversations with the city of Toronto with respect to next steps, including dealing with the importance of flood mitigation.

I might also add that all Canadian municipalities, including the city of Toronto, have access to unprecedented levels of federal funding for infrastructure in more ways than ever before. Through the new building Canada plan, Ontario will benefit from more than $11 billion in dedicated federal funding, including more than $2.7 billion under the new building Canada fund and an estimated $8.12 billion under the federal gas tax fund.

While Toronto can count on its federal allocation through the gas tax fund, which has largely, as my colleague knows, been directed to public transit on the wish of the officials of the city of Toronto, we would be pleased to consider investing in other projects that the city deems important and that the province identifies as a priority.

Our government is committed to creating jobs, promoting growth and building strong, prosperous communities across Ontario and across this great country.

Mr. Speaker, under the leadership of our Prime Minister, Canada has consistently led all G7 countries with respect to investments in infrastructure as a rate of GDP.

We are seeing unprecedented support being provided to municipalities through the gas tax fund, which our government has doubled. We have extended it, made it permanent, and indexed it moving forward. Many of these commitments go specifically to public transit. We have also, in our recent budget, established the public transit fund.

There is unprecedented support from municipalities and provinces across the country.

Mr. Speaker, our Conservative government is making record investments in infrastructure under the ten-year new building Canada plan. We will invest $80 billion over the next decade. We are making record investments in federal infrastructure. We are providing unprecedented support to municipalities and provinces to help them meet their infrastructure needs.

These investments will renew infrastructure, create jobs, and enhance the quality of life for Canadians.